Vanuatu

Vanuatu is an archipelago of islands based in the South Pacific Ocean. It was first inhabited by Melanesian people but Europeans began to settle in the area in the late 18th century. In the 1880s France and the United Kingdom claimed parts of the country and in 1906 they agreed on a framework for jointly managing the archipelago as the New Hebrides through a British-French condominium. Gaining independence from France and Britain in 1980, Vanuatu is experiencing an economic upturn due to an expansion in tourism, better access via air and a good relationship with Australia.